Unique point of view on strategy! I can agree totally with it but how many will identify with it. I really like what he addresses in the last paragraph regarding the words used. "Nomenclature is destiny"

In our consumer culture of shiny-new-object syndrome, it is increasingly unlikely that a brand will survive—much less thrive—for more than a few seasons. But for 162 years, Levi Strauss & Co. has done just that. The staying power of the Levi’s brand stands out boldly in this era of pop-up stores, Snapchat-style startups and fleeting loyalty.

New principles that shift the way everyone in an organization thinks about strategy An agile, flexible, and dynamic process custom fit to the needs of an organization A relentless focus on speed (90-day increments; faster process; faster to results) New, innovative “next practices” replacing so-called “best practices” that aren’t Begins with the end in mind and designs strategy to be delivered from the beginning Establishes clear expectations and accountability for achieving breakthrough business results for everyone in the organization from the start Increases the focus on building core strategy management capabilities internally Requires existing leadership, talent, and organization capital programs to be fully integrated and leveraged - See more at: http://www.n2growth.com/blog/get-off-the-strategy-merry-go-round/#sthash.9C9mVwHA.dpuf

To make these decisions, you need to look beyond the income that the products are currently bringing in. You need to assess how they're likely to perform in future. The Boston Matrix, also called The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix, is a simple, visual way to examine the likely financial performance of your product or business portfolio. In this article, we'll look at the Boston Matrix and how to use it. We'll also outline some of its limitations

If you often require showing a task or process in the form of a chart, then you would know the importance of flowcharts all too well. In previous posts we showed you How To Make A Flowchart in PowerPoint and also presented a comprehensive guide regarding the ‘Meaning Of Different Flowchart Symbols’. This time we will show you how to create a flowchart in Excel.

Bullets do not save time. Memos save time. Presentations aren't about the most concise exposition of facts, they are about changing minds. Bullets are actually aggressive, they're gotchas lying in wait to be brought up later, either by an observer...

Eloquens's insight:

A good perspective on using bullet points in presentations.. I might be worth trying alternatives like images and charts that make messages come through in a much easier and entertaining manner.

In this adaptation from the new book, Your Strategy Needs a Strategy (HBR Press, 2015), BCG strategy experts make sense of the all the different, and competing, approaches to strategy: Which strategy is right for your business? When and how should you implement it? The practical tool offered here helps executives answer such questions as: What replaces planning when the annual cycle is obsolete? Where can we — and when should we — shape the game to our advantage? How do we simultaneously implement different strategies across different business units?

Insights at the Point of Action Will Redefine Competitiveness. We live in a fast-moving, complex world of increasingly connected people and connected things that are creating vast new digital footprints. To thrive, organizations need to make sense of this big and fast-moving data, to gain real-time access to powerful insights and deliver them at the point of action. But how are data-driven insights changing businesses? Where are organizations today and where are they going?We surveyed 1,000 C-level executives and senior decision makers in nine regions and nine industries to help us assess where the market is heading.

Mike has published recent pieces on strategy and strategic planning that inspired me to reflect on the process and effectiveness of strategy, especially brand strategy. It fascinates me that strategy and strategic planning are often considered separate and different from brand strategy. Since many executives don’t understand what a brand is, they don’t realize an organization’s brand should govern and be the basis for corporate strategy and planning.

Strategy and Brands

Strategy should effectively set an organization apart from competitors. A good strategy (well executed) can make an entity appreciably unique and compellingly relevant to a meaningful proportion of consumers. This is precisely what a good brand does! So why is brand strategy so often overlooked in corporate strategy or planning?

I believe there are three reasons:

Lack of understandingMisperceptions – Corporate strategy and planning are considered to be for “left-brained numbers people’ and brand strategy (if an organization even does it) is for “right-brained marketingComplexity – Brands are complex, somewhat abstract, and don’t fit neatly into financial spreadsheets

While the concept of a brand can be difficult to get your head around, that complexity shouldn’t suggest branding be ignored. Let’s break down the concept to its component parts, tackling the basic definition first.

We live in a world both surrounded and driven by data. The phone or computer screen you are currently reading this blog from was brought to market after significant time spent analyzing logistics alongside research and development data by its manufacturer. Without proper utilization of data, many of these companies would be unable to provide their current services, ultimately lowering quality for consumers.

In essence, the same can be said for nonprofits that are not utilizing data as part of their operations.

Nonprofits face significant challenges as they try to solve today’s pressing societal problems. Most organizations realize that data can potentially help them develop meaningful strategies to maximize their impact. However, based on a survey conducted by the Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network (NTEN), less than two-thirds were collecting data of clients’ participation in their programs. Respondents most commonly cited lack of expertise, prioritization of time, and lack of proper technology as the greatest barriers to data collection.

We've written a bit about how organizations can use data to increase their impact, but the reality is that many nonprofits are unlikely to employ an army of data scientists committed to improving social welfare. Regardless of your training or background, however, almost anyone can perform data analysis; it just depends on how you plan to make sense of your information.

Data analyses range from summing basic survey responses to developing complicated predictive regression models. Data visualization is one particular form of analysis that can be employed by most people and is a great way to get started in the world of data analytics.

Sharing your scoops to your social media accounts is a must to distribute your curated content. Not only will it drive traffic and leads through your content, but it will help show your expertise with your followers.

Integrating your curated content to your website or blog will allow you to increase your website visitors’ engagement, boost SEO and acquire new visitors. By redirecting your social media traffic to your website, Scoop.it will also help you generate more qualified traffic and leads from your curation work.

Distributing your curated content through a newsletter is a great way to nurture and engage your email subscribers will developing your traffic and visibility.
Creating engaging newsletters with your curated content is really easy.